WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and Congressman Jim Himes (D-CT), Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee, led a delegation of 42 other members, including the majority of Democrats serving on the House Intelligence Committee, in sending a letter to President Biden expressing support for a two-state solution as the only viable path for sustainable peace between the Israeli and Palestinian people. The letter also requests the Biden Administration to outline a strategy to marshal international, and ultimately, Israeli and Palestinian support to successfully implement a two-state solution.
In the letter to President Biden, the group writes, “We remain steadfast in our congressional support for a long-term solution, and urge you to provide Congress with your Administration’s strategy to bring peace to a decades-long conflict. We realize that a two-state solution is not possible until those who planned and conducted the October 7 attack are brought to justice and the 132 hostages are released. Therefore, we respectfully request that you provide an update on U.S. diplomatic, economic, and security measures involved in your Administration’s strategy to address these significant barriers.”
“Based on everything my Intelligence Committee colleagues and I have seen in classified and unclassified settings, there is no way that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict gets resolved without achieving a negotiated two-state solution,” said Congressman Krishnamoorthi. “If we do not achieve this two-state solution, we will have repeated cycles of violence creating endless misery for countless people. We must end this cycle of violence now. I look forward to hearing from the Biden Administration what is necessary to reach this goal.”
“Prime Minister Netanyahu’s rejection of a two-state solution is unacceptable,” said Congressman Himes. “After decades of violence, the Israeli and Palestinian people deserve to live safely and freely within secure borders. The United States should continue to push for the existence of a sovereign Israeli and sovereign Palestinian state that coexist peacefully. However distant this outcome may seem, it must remain at the forefront of our global conscience as the international community works to restore stability throughout the Middle East.”
Reps. Bera (D-CA), Beyer (D-VA), Blumenauer (D-OR), Brownley (D-CA), Caraveo (D-CO), Carbajal (D-CA), Carson (D-IN), Casten (D-IL), Castro (D-TX), Chu (D-CA), Connolly (D-VA), Courtney (D-CT), Davids (D-KS), Dean (D-PA), DelBene (D-WA), Dingell (D-MI), Escobar (D-TX), Foster (D-IL), Garamendi (D-CA), Gomez (D-CA), Hayes (D-CT), Kaptur (D-OH), Larson (D-CT), Lee (D-CA), Leger Fernandez (D-NM), Magaziner (D-RI), McCollum (D-MN), McGarvey (D-KY), McGovern (D-MA), Menendez (D-NJ), Moulton (D-MA), Nickel (D-NC), Norton (D-DC), Plaskett (D-VI), Porter (D-CA), Quigley (D-IL), Swalwell (D-CA), Thanedar (D-MI), Tokuda (D-HI), Watson Coleman (D-NJ), and Wild (D-PA) also signed onto the letter.
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